UFC 105 Picks & Predictions
Posted by Drew Ellis (11/14/2009 @ 10:01 am)
The Ultimate Fighting Championship presents UFC 105: Couture vs. Vera on Saturday from the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester, England. The event will air on tape delay on Spike TV beginning at 8 p.m. and feature five bouts. Here are my picks for the five featured fights:
Light Heavyweight (205 lbs) – Randy Couture (16-10) vs. Brandon Vera (11-3) – This fight features two former heavyweights that have dropped down to light heavyweight after struggling in the larger weight class. Couture is a Hall of Fame fighter that has won multiple titles in both divisions, but has lost his last two matches. The key in this fight will be whether the fight remains standing or if it goes to the ground. Couture has the edge on the ground while Vera has the edge standing. I expect Vera to come out highly motivated and on top of his game, using his speed and extensive strikes to get the best of Couture, who seems to be lacking in the ability to control fights right now. Look for Vera to win a second or third round TKO.
Welterweight (170 lbs) – Mike Swick (14-2) vs. Dan Hardy (22-6) – This match is a No. 1 contenders match, with the winner getting to fight UFC champion Georges St. Pierre in their next match. Both fighters will look to strike as each thinks they have faster and stronger hands than their opponent. The key for this fight will be which fighter has the ability to win the battle on the ground as that is likely where it will end up in the later rounds. I like Swick’s quickness and takedown ability to earn him a decision win over the game Hardy.
Middleweight (185 lbs) – Michael Bisping (18-2) vs. Denis Kang (32-11-1) – Bisping is coming off his first knockout loss at UFC 100 and how he handles that loss will be the key in this fight. Sometimes after losing by knockout, fighters come back tentative and unwilling to mix it up for fear of getting knocked out again. Bisping has to trust his abilities in order to beat Kang, who is an experienced and well-rounded fighter. Bisping was becoming a tentative fighter prior to his KO loss, and I expect him to be the same in this fight, which will allow Kang to control the fight and earn a decision win.
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Posted in: Mixed Martial Arts
Tags: Brandon Vera, Dan Hardy, Denis Kang, James Wilks, James Wilks vs. Matt Brown, Matt Brown, Michael Bisping, Michael Bisping vs. Denis Kang, Mike Swick, Mike Swick vs. Dan Hardy, Randy Couture, Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera, Ross Pearson, Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighter Live Finale Preview
Posted by Administrator (06/20/2009 @ 10:49 am)
The Ultimate Fighter Nine Finals take place tonight with the live Ultimate Fighter Finale on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET. The main card will feature five fights including the two championship bouts for the Ultimate Fighter reality show. Overall, it is a nice card featuring the lighter weights in the UFC, which tend to provide stronger fights and better pacing. Here is a breakdown of the card and my predictions (I was 5-for-6 last weekend!!) for tonight’s show.
Lightweight bout (155 lbs) – Diego Sanchez (23-2) vs. Clay Guida (25-9): This fight should be a war as both fighters have great motors and even better stamina. Sanchez has lost just two times in his career, both by decision, but is in just his second fight at lightweight in the UFC. His previous fight was a lackluster decision win over Joe Stevenson where Sanchez picked Stevenson apart on their feet. Guida won’t be quite that easy. The rocker has a fighting style and energy that makes it hard for you to not cheer for him and I think he will be the first fighter to really push Sanchez around in terms of pacing and octagon control. The key in this fight will be if Guida has the size to control the bigger Sanchez on the ground and if he can fight off his back. I would like to say I see Guida winning this fight, but I think Sanchez’ size and speed will ultimately earn him another decision win.
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Posted in: Mixed Martial Arts
Tags: Andrew Winner, Chris Lytle, Clay Guida, Damarques Johnson, Damarques Johnson vs. James Wilks, Diego Sanchez, Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida, James Wilks, Joe Stenvenson vs. Nate Diaz, Joe Stevenson, Kevin Burns, Kevin Burns vs. Chris Lytle, MMA, Nate Diaz, Ross Pearson, Ross Person vs. Andrew Winner, The Ultimate Fighter, The Ultimate Fighter Nine, TUF, TUF 9, TUF 9 Predictions, TUF 9 Preview
Saturday MMA Review: 6/13
Posted by Anthony Stalter (06/13/2009 @ 6:00 am)
Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:
– Jake Shields choked out Robbie Lawler, Nick Diaz dominated Scott Smith, and Brett Rogers scored a 22-second KO over Andrei Arlovski at the Strikeforce show last Saturday. Afterwards, Rogers shared his feelings about Kimbo Slice and Nick Diaz humiliated a reporter.
– A day later, the WEC one-upped Strikeforce by putting on one of the greatest cards of the year, highlighted by Mike Brown’s five-round war with Urijah Faber, Jose Aldo’s latest highlight-reel finish, and possibly the last appearance of Jens Pulver. If only the fighters got paid what they’re worth…
– Team U.K. swept the lightweight bracket on Wednesday’s episode of the Ultimate Fighter; Andre Winner and Ross Pearson will throw down at next Saturday’s finale show on Spike.
– The upcoming title fight between Gina Carano and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos will be contested at 145 pounds. Cross your fingers.
– EA is prepping its own MMA video game to compete with “UFC Undisputed.” Can they succeed without the involvement of MMA’s most powerful brand?
– We looked back at MMA’s first superstars.
– Wanderlei Silva explained to us how life was like a bicycle.
– UFC 99 goes down today [Saturday] in Cologne, Germany, starting at 3 p.m. ET. Swing by CagePotato.com for our liveblog, and get familiar with some of the storylines here.
Posted in: Mixed Martial Arts
Tags: Andre Winner, Best MMAs superstars, Brett Rogers, Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos, Gina Carano, Jake Shields, Jens Pulver, Jose Aldo, MMA, MMA News, Nick Diaz, Robbie Lawler, Ross Pearson, Scott Smith, Strikeforce, Urikah Faber, Wanderlei Silva, WEC
